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en-usThoughts on the Future of Productivity: An Interview with Brent FreiEmployees at both large and small organizations struggle to get work done more efficiently. Sure, cloud computing is here and many IT departments have loosened restrictions. More than ever, productivity apps are flooding organizations. If it seems like there's an app for everything these days, you're right. What's the perfect or right tool?<br />
<br />
Many folks suffer from paralysis by analysis, a theme in my forthcoming book, Message Not Received: Why Business Communication Is Broken and How to Fix It. I recently sat down with Smartsheet co-founder, chairman, and chief marketing head Brent Frei to learn more.<br />
<br />
*PS: I've been hearing for 15 years that true enterprise-collaboration technologies are coming. *<br />
<br />
*BF:*: It feels a lot like we're experiencing the "Goldilocks of Business Productivity" right now. Many Project Management tools are too hard and complicated for most to use. Social Collaboration tools are too soft, and not critical in tracking and driving work. Task Management tools are typically too narrow, and inflexible to adapt to the unique ways many like to work.<br />
<br />
And when teams don't agree on the one best tool for their use, they often resort back to the old ways of working, in emails and spreadsheets. But those surely aren't 'just right' either. With the advent of the cloud, how could it possibly be innovative to go backwards?<br />
<br />
*PS: Do we need collaboration tools to be productive? *<br />
<br />
*BF:* Collaboration in the context of executing work, yes. But we all know the person that has mastered the art of looking busy by sending those long emails or pontificating on social channels. I'd argue these folks are covering up for not doing meaningful work, which ultimately drags down the productivity of the whole team.<br />
<br />
Remember group projects in school? Everyone hated them because one or two people would do the work and some blow hard would swoop in at the last minute, present it well, and take credit. Same thing happens in many businesses. Having the biggest megaphone doesn't mean you're the most productive.<br />
<br />
The most productive people in organizations talk less and do more. They're the ones who are moving the ball forward for your company - the doers. What's unique in how they work is that there is structure wrapped around their communication and interactions.<br />
<br />
As the team at Constellation Research says, it's "purposeful collaboration" - and it's this type of collaboration that helps them get their jobs done. They don't post long messages for insights on a particular process. They send a targeted "what is the status of x" or they create a web form to collect requests, assign owners, and alert the parties involved.<br />
<br />
*PS:** The market seems really crowded.*<br />
<br />
*BF:* No kidding - talk about the definition of insanity! There are literally hundreds of project tools, and even more variations of task management, file sharing and social collaboration tools. Everyone's creating a slight variation of a tool that's been done before, expecting a different outcome. But none have been big market winners in the enterprise.<br />
<br />
Why? Because they're forcing you to learn something new and organize your work the way their structured application wants. The software architects are hoping you want to structure your work the way their tool functions, but everyone knows finance departments don't want to use a work management tool that marketers do, and sales reps won't use the same tool as operations.<br />
<br />
That's why if you walk into any organization on the planet, you'll find people "collaborating" by tracking work in spreadsheets and sending them around in email. Spreadsheets are simple to set up, familiar to everyone, and for the most part, work the way you want them to - but they're not built for today's work collaboration needs. For instance, they don't remind me when things are due, I can't easily roll up sheets into a dashboard, and they don't keep my files or documents associated with tasks.<br />
<br />
*PS:** What does the future of productivity tools look like?*<br />
<br />
*BF:* I believe the spreadsheet user interface is the future for work management tools. We believe that it nails the first and second biggest challenges that most collaboration or productivity tools have. I'm talking about people's reluctance to learn new tools and not allowing people to work the way they want to work. Like most people, if it takes minutes or hours to figure out how to solve my work challenges in a tool, I'm gone. I know spreadsheets, they're not scary nor do they force me to learn a new paradigm.<br />
<br />
And there's not enough time in the day to learn multiple tools to get my work done. The "there's an app for that" approach isn't necessarily a good thing anymore. There's a palatable and nagging sense of app fatigue in businesses today.<br />
<br />
The cloud presents an opportunity to do more than simply reproduce the desktop in the sky. It's where we can innovate and reconstitute our favorite tools into more useful ones. The iPhone capitalized on broadband speed and screen resolution with an innovation in 'touch', to combine the phone, with computing, music, cameras, and email devices. Similarly, our customers tell us Smartsheet has hit the innovation sweet spot combining the familiarity of the spreadsheet with the essentials of file sharing, project management, calendars, workflow and database.<br />
<br />
It's hard to make a tool easy for the novice to pick up and use in minutes, but also powerful enough to meet the enterprise requirements of large scale deployments - with the security, APIs, mobile, and administrative capabilities they need. But we've seen world-class companies like Google, Cisco, Groupon, Pearson, Colliers. and the GSA have huge success with the tool as usage spreads organically throughout their organizations.<br />
<br />
What's really exciting now is that we're not only helping people manage work more efficiently on an individual project level, but now management can look across the organization at a high level to see how and where the work's getting done. They now can see who is at the center of driving that work forward for the first time.<br />
<br />
*PS:** Should employees who over-communicate and try to look busy be afraid?*<br />
<br />
*BF:* Let's just say it's very telling and motivating when everyone's progress and contributions are transparent. One of our customers coined the term "clear pressure" to describe the notion that Smartsheet helps create a sense of responsibility. Everyone can see if a task isn't delivered on time, and will understand how it will impact others and the project overall.<br />
<br />
I like how Terri Griffith, author and chair of the management department at Santa Clara University, advises managers to lead "by letting go." By tapping the right collaborative technologies and providing mentoring, not micromanagement, team members thrive.<br />
<br />
This clear pressure and visibility encourages people to step up. It's a great thing, because we as human beings want to contribute and be part of something successful. If Smartsheet can play a role in helping them achieve this, that's super exciting.
Reported by Huffington Post 30 minutes ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Business/754y89xat/Thoughts-on-the-Future-of-Productivity-An-Interview.htm
BusinessTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:05:29 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Business/754y89xat/Thoughts-on-the-Future-of-Productivity-An-Interview.htmObama, European leaders discuss Ukraine, global securityWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and European leaders on Tuesday warned Russia that they were ready to step up sanctions if there were further violations of a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, officials said.<br />
<br />
The post Obama, European leaders discuss Ukraine, global security appeared first on Firstpost.
Reported by Firstpost 1 hour ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/India/754y89w6l/Obama-European-leaders-discuss-Ukraine-global-security.htm
IndiaTue, 03 Mar 2015 21:20:05 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/India/754y89w6l/Obama-European-leaders-discuss-Ukraine-global-security.htmAP ANALYSIS: US on sidelines of key battle against Islamic State in Iraq as Iranians step upIranian-backed Shiite militias and Sunni tribes have joined in the operation to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown from the Islamic State group, but the U.S.-led coalition has not.
Reported by FOXNews.com 27 minutes ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/World/754y89xfa/AP-ANALYSIS-US-on-sidelines-of-key-battle.htm
WorldTue, 03 Mar 2015 22:09:02 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/World/754y89xfa/AP-ANALYSIS-US-on-sidelines-of-key-battle.htmTTN March April 2015 Outlook: Award SeasonIn the spirit of Hollywood's self-congratulatory award season, let's start with a pat on our own back for what we got right in our January-February outlook. The ECB did indeed step up the timetable for its Quantitative Easing program, announcing the go ahead in January. The risk-on appetite generated by the new plate of QE, however, was initially tempered by the demands of the newly elected leftist government in Greece. As predicted, after a brief flirtation with brinkmanship, the Syriza Party
Reported by FXstreet.com 2 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Markets/754y89ui7/TTN-March-April-2015-Outlook-Award-Season.htm
MarketsTue, 03 Mar 2015 20:15:33 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Markets/754y89ui7/TTN-March-April-2015-Outlook-Award-Season.htmMcColl's shares slump as supermarkets step up competitionShares in convenience store chain fall on back of decline in sales, but boss James Lancaster says market is 'full of opportunities'
Reported by Telegraph.co.uk 4 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Business/754y89ra9/McColl-shares-slump-as-supermarkets-step-up.htm
BusinessTue, 03 Mar 2015 18:10:13 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Business/754y89ra9/McColl-shares-slump-as-supermarkets-step-up.htmIs a Bolder President Obama Emerging Like a Phoenix From the Ashes of the Midterms, Instead of a Lame Duck?Like the swallows returning noisily to Capistrano each spring, Congress has returned to D.C. following another midterm election, this time with the Republicans firmly in charge and already imposing their will on the legislative agenda, as will be the case for the next two years at least. Despite the walloping they took in the midterm elections, Democrats -- mainly in the Progressive wing of the party, as well as our President -- are also charting a new and bold direction for themselves. With purpose and vigor, they are drawing their own road map for the country to follow if it is to take back control of our democracy from the ultra-wealthy few.<br />
<br />
I, for one, was pleasantly surprised to hear the President finally calling for a Constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United decision. Such a declaration by our nation's leader was clearly the result of some magnificent advocacy work that has been done over the last five years by a host of organizations and coalitions, including MoveToAmend and Public Citizen with their "Democracy is for People" campaign. Since the Citizens United ruling came down in 2010 from the activist Conservative majority of the Supreme Court, the movement to amend has grown and matured, helping to educate the public and make them understand that this is the prevailing issue of our time. We cannot have our government divided between a Corporate party and a People's party, with the 1% being able to buy off our public servants to do their bidding at the expense of the rest of us.<br />
<br />
Of course, if the President had gone to the mat on this issue before the 2014 election and supported Senate Dems in their quest for an amendment with S.J. Res.19, they might have been able to hold their majority. This should have been a campaign issue from the beginning last year, rather than Democrats just pointing fingers at the Kochs, Karl Rove and the outside money that poured to fuel the lies and distortions being hurled at Democratic candidates across the country. 2014 was the most expensive midterm election in American history, and the spending will likely rise even higher in 2016, especially with the commitment of the Kochs and their cabal to spend $889 million this cycle. Is a "Koch Party" now emerging, to become more powerful than even the Republican Party? Democrats must articulate the reasons for an amendment to repeal Citizens United, as well as its younger but equally poisonous sibling McCutcheon. Unfortunately, the Dems' messaging continues to remain feeble at best on this issue.<br />
<br />
All but one of the Senate Democrats voted for the amendment resolution, producing a 54-42 victory. Curiously, the only Democrat not to cast a vote was New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Even so, the Dems were unable to reach the sixty votes necessary to prevent a Republican filibuster -- another sterling example of how the Senate's arcane rules make it so little can be accomplished in that chamber, despite so much work needing to be done. Since the chances of an amendment resolution moving forward in the 114th Congress are slim to none at best, for now the major efforts remain at the state level, with 16 states and the District of Columbia publicly supporting this effort. Meanwhile, the President continues to hold in his back pocket an Executive Order requiring disclosure of campaign contributions by federal contractors. This would certainly be a good move. The SEC should also flex some muscle and require all publicly traded corporations to disclose their political spending.<br />
<br />
All that right-wing money certainly helped the Republicans to win the Senate in the last election, as well as to increase their House majority, primarily with more Tea Party loons who continue to push forward with their peculiar brand of regressive, anti-government proposals, including one that would make Medicare subject to vouchers. They also are targeting eleven million disabled Americans - including three million children - who receive Social Security by proposing a cut to benefits of up to 20% next year, all in the name of "saving" this program. Pitting one group against another and creating a false crisis to divide and confuse is another hallmark of the right wing's political playbook. Social Security is of one our most successful government programs and has a healthy $2.8 trillion in assets, allowing it to pay out full benefits for the next eighteen years and roughly 80% after that, according to Social Security Works and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). One way to strengthen this program would be to make everyone pay their fair share and raise the top Social Security payroll tax above $118,500 of earned income. Bernie has suggested raising it to $250,000, while also expanding and increasing benefits.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Social Security and Medicaid are just the tip of the iceberg for these rejuvenated Tea Partiers. They are also pushing for further cuts to food Food Stamps, limiting of consumer rights, yet another assault on Obamacare - for the 56th time - and watering down Dodd-Frank to further weaken oversight of our craven financial industry. If the GOP has its way, all of the Progressive achievements of the past 80 years would be wiped away and all of the programs that have made us a humane society and once the envy of the world would be decimated.<br />
<br />
And what can one can one say about the House threatening to not fund the Department of Homeland Security because of the Tea Partiers irrational distain for the President's position and Executive Order on immigration? Speaker Boehner is teetering on the brink of losing control of this radical segment of his caucus, putting his leadership in jeopardy. The Senate passed a clean, stand-alone bill without immigration included and the House should follow suit, addressing the immigration issue separately but funding Homeland Security, for the nation's safety is at stake. Sounds like another manufactured crisis.<br />
<br />
The GOP majorities in the House and Senate seem to have no agenda of their own for moving the country forward, and neither party is talking about the poor in this country, which numbered 45.3 million in 2013 - a national disgrace. Immigration reform has also stalled, and efforts to raise the minimum wage to a living wage have all but disappeared from the discourse in DC, even though Walmart stepped up last week to announce it is raising the minimum wage for 500,000 of its employees to $10 by next year - an incredible win for those who have worked so hard on this issue. Last Thursday, TJ Maxx and Marshalls announced the same commitment to their employees. Can the rest of those low-paying industries be far behind in doing the right thing? Of course, a $10 per hour wage is far from enough to live on, but that door has now been opened and will make life at least a little easier for those workers and bring more spending power to those communities that need it most.<br />
<br />
Another issue not being dealt with on the Hill is the rebuilding of our crumbling infrastructure nationwide, which will face a funding gap of $1.1 trillion by 2020 if nothing is done. Don't our so-called "leaders" see that such an effort would generate 13 million jobs, while also boosting the bottom line of those corporations that manufacture and sell the numerous products that would be needed for such a massive undertaking? This is a win-win program that should receive bipartisan support in D.C., as it has among the voting public. This topic in particular has been on the front burner for Bernie Sanders as he travels across the country to speak to the American people, finding support from both Republicans and Democrats for this national imperative. If the Republicans in Congress want to actually start leading, this would be a magnificent way to start. Alas, to date, they have offered nada, nothing, zilch -- all while continuing to gorge themselves at the public trough.<br />
<br />
In recent days, the President has also been vocal in his support of net neutrality, as has Chairman Tom Wheeler of the FCC, which just adopted new rules to protect this critical modern day resource. Mr. Wheeler clearly heard the massive outpouring of support for such an action, as numerous organizations and the People have expressed their views loudly to the Commission. This decision clearly puts people first, and not mega telecommunication corporations like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T, which seek to control all of our communications and make us pay more and more for the privilege of accessing a "fast lane" to transport what we think and say. An open internet is critical to the preservation of free speech and a free society.<br />
<br />
Another feather in the President's cap is his veto of a bill supporting construction on the Alberta Tar Sands-loving Keystone XL pipeline. Of course, the President is well aware of the clock running on his tenure in the White House, as well as his legacy. Unencumbered by another campaign and -- we hope -- not still beholden to special interests, he must continue to act in the best interests of the people of this nation, and not the corporations and 1%. There is a great deal more he can do to trumpet Progressive policy from his bully pulpit and rally the public behind him. The recent upward bump in his poll numbers should offer him some encouragement and show that the People are responding when he acts on their behalf and for and betterment of our society.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we see academics like Robert Reich blossoming into full-fledged activists, joining recently with MoveOn.org in the creation of a video highlighting the dangers of the Trans-Pacific Partnership ("TPP") trade agreement and why it must be stopped before it can be fast-tracked -- without Congressional input or oversight -- and signed, which may come in a matter of just a few months. The President is wrong in promoting this odious deal. Only 5 of 29 parts of this agreement actually deal with trade, so it is looking like just another in a long list of colossal giveaways to corporate America that do little to bolster jobs in our country and protect workers rights around the globe. This agreement would put a stranglehold on consumers' rights, and would even allow courts to be set up in partner nations that would work on behalf of corporations, allowing them to sue the governments of member nations if their bottom lines fall due to those nations' regulations. Prescription drug prices would also soar, and who knows how many more American jobs will be lost through this boondoggle that actually manages to out-NAFTA NAFTA. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, five million jobs have been lost in the past 10 years with these trade deals due to currency manipulation alone.<br />
<br />
Bob Reich reached three million people with his TPP video in just a few days, and is now teaming up with MoveOn again to raise money and do messaging for the woeful Democratic Party. Dems have been totally inept in this department for years and desperately need Reich's help. One can look at the success of the messaging of the Republican Party and see how they are, to a member, able to spew their factually-challenged messaging repeatedly until it is accepted as gospel on issues as disparate as Benghazi, Obamacare and Solyndra, according to Reich. And what is the message from the Dem Party? There are so many issues and achievements they could be talking about, yet they continue to fumble away opportunity after opportunity to give voters a clear choice in the voting booth. Yes, Reich is the man for this job, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and, especially, Bernie Sanders, who is very clear in what he perceives must be done to bolster the lives of struggling, hard-working Americans and return control of our country to We, the People, and not the corporations. Bernie has an agenda laid out and is talking about it every chance he gets, and thanks to PDA's Run Bernie Run campaign, he is building support from states across the country.<br />
<br />
Another Progressive -- or should I say "common sense" -- bill was reintroduced on February 3rd by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI): The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (H.R. 676), which had 44 members of Congress signing up to co-sponsor the bill with Conyers on the very first day, with a few more signing on since. It was just announced that in this sign-up period, 11.4 million Americans joined the ranks of the insured under the Affordable Care Act, far exceeding even the White House's goals. Even though many millions still remain uninsured, this still should be considered a success by any measure, although it will continue to be rough sledding for the newly insured, with those high deductibles, co-pays, premiums and out-of-pocket costs they will still have to pay for medical care. This bare-bones coverage continues to be delivered through a fragmented system, with Medicaid becoming a major part of this delivery system, along with subsidies. No doubt we will begin to see self-rationing of healthcare as the unharnessed costs continue to rise, making seeing a doctor too expensive for many to afford. You can also bet that the insurers will cut back on services and further cut doctor's payments, forcing them to drop out of plans, while also exercising their right to drop doctors in the first six months from some plans. A doctor offering too many tests and services would likely target them for disposal.<br />
<br />
Let's be clear -- the response by the American people to the ACA shows the need and interest is there for a truly national health plan, which can only be delivered by Expanded and Improved Medicare for All. This would be the new frontier that the President could press for in his final two years in office, honestly saying to the American people that we have opened the door to universal healthcare, and now let's go further and truly deliver a healthcare system that is affordable and covers every American starting at birth. The movement continues to build on this one, Mr. President, and you should step up and lead it. You certainly know that Medicaid - the expanding of which much of the ACA is hinged on - is a class-defined system, and delivering healthcare through single-payer would end that inequality. Labor supports H.R. 676, with 616 union organizations already on board, and this sensible approach would save $400 billion per year and improve the quality of healthcare for everyone, while also delivering free choice of doctors and ending copays, deductibles and premiums. Imagine, the same high quality healthcare for one and all. That is, after all, the American way, isn't it?<br />
<br />
- with Jonathan Stone
Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y89sxd/Is-Bolder-President-Obama-Emerging-Like.htm
PoliticsTue, 03 Mar 2015 19:13:36 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y89sxd/Is-Bolder-President-Obama-Emerging-Like.htmIs A Bolder President Obama Emerging Like a Phoenix From the Ashes of the Midterms, Instead of a Lame Duck?Like the swallows returning noisily to Capistrano each spring, Congress has returned to DC following another midterm election, this time with the Republicans firmly in charge and already imposing their will on the legislative agenda, as will be the case for the next two years at least. Despite the walloping they took in the midterm elections, Democrats - mainly in the Progressive wing of the party, as well as our President - are also charting a new and bold direction for themselves. With purpose and vigor, they are drawing their own road map for the country to follow if it is to take back control of our democracy from the ultra-wealthy few.<br />
<br />
I, for one, was pleasantly surprised to hear the President finally calling for a Constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's disastrous Citizens United decision. Such a declaration by our nation's leader was clearly the result of some magnificent advocacy work that has been done over the last five years by a host of organizations and coalitions, including MoveToAmend and Public Citizen with their "Democracy is for People" campaign. Since the Citizens United ruling came down in 2010 from the activist Conservative majority of the Supreme Court, the movement to amend has grown and matured, helping to educate the public and make them understand that this is the prevailing issue of our time. We cannot have our government divided between a Corporate party and a People's party, with the 1% being able to buy off our public servants to do their bidding at the expense of the rest of us.<br />
<br />
Of course, if the President had gone to the mat on this issue before the 2014 election and supported Senate Dems in their quest for an amendment with S.J. Res.19, they might have been able to hold their majority. This should have been a campaign issue from the beginning last year, rather than Democrats just pointing fingers at the Kochs, Karl Rove and the outside money that poured to fuel the lies and distortions being hurled at Democratic candidates across the country. 2014 was the most expensive midterm election in American history, and the spending will likely rise even higher in 2016, especially with the commitment of the Kochs and their cabal to spend $889 million this cycle. Is a "Koch Party" now emerging, to become more powerful than even the Republican Party? Democrats must articulate the reasons for an amendment to repeal Citizens United, as well as its younger but equally poisonous sibling McCutcheon. Unfortunately, the Dems' messaging continues to remain feeble at best on this issue.<br />
<br />
All but one of the Senate Democrats voted for the amendment resolution, producing a 54-42 victory. Curiously, the only Democrat not to cast a vote was New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Even so, the Dems were unable to reach the sixty votes necessary to prevent a Republican filibuster - another sterling example of how the Senate's arcane rules make it so little can be accomplished in that chamber, despite so much work needing to be done. Since the chances of an amendment resolution moving forward in the 114th Congress are slim to none at best, for now the major efforts remain at the state level, with 16 states and the District of Columbia publicly supporting this effort. Meanwhile, the President continues to hold in his back pocket an Executive Order requiring disclosure of campaign contributions by federal contractors. This would certainly be a good move. The SEC should also flex some muscle and require all publicly traded corporations to disclose their political spending.<br />
<br />
All that right-wing money certainly helped the Republicans to win the Senate in the last election, as well as to increase their House majority, primarily with more Tea Party loons who continue to push forward with their peculiar brand of regressive, anti-government proposals, including one that would make Medicare subject to vouchers. They also are targeting eleven million disabled Americans - including three million children - who receive Social Security by proposing a cut to benefits of up to 20% next year, all in the name of "saving" this program. Pitting one group against another and creating a false crisis to divide and confuse is another hallmark of the right wing's political playbook. Social Security is of one our most successful government programs and has a healthy $2.8 trillion in assets, allowing it to pay out full benefits for the next eighteen years and roughly 80% after that, according to Social Security Works and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). One way to strengthen this program would be to make everyone pay their fair share and raise the top Social Security payroll tax above $118,500 of earned income. Bernie has suggested raising it to $250,000, while also expanding and increasing benefits.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Social Security and Medicaid are just the tip of the iceberg for these rejuvenated Tea Partiers. They are also pushing for further cuts to food Food Stamps, limiting of consumer rights, yet another assault on Obamacare - for the 56th time - and watering down Dodd-Frank to further weaken oversight of our craven financial industry. If the GOP has its way, all of the Progressive achievements of the past 80 years would be wiped away and all of the programs that have made us a humane society and once the envy of the world would be decimated.<br />
<br />
And what can one can one say about the House threatening to not fund the Department of Homeland Security because of the Tea Partiers irrational distain for the President's position and Executive Order on immigration? Speaker Boehner is teetering on the brink of losing control of this radical segment of his caucus, putting his leadership in jeopardy. The Senate passed a clean, stand-alone bill without immigration included and the House should follow suit, addressing the immigration issue separately but funding Homeland Security, for the nation's safety is at stake. Sounds like another manufactured crisis.<br />
<br />
The GOP majorities in the House and Senate seem to have no agenda of their own for moving the country forward, and neither party is talking about the poor in this country, which numbered 45.3 million in 2013 - a national disgrace. Immigration reform has also stalled, and efforts to raise the minimum wage to a living wage have all but disappeared from the discourse in DC, even though Walmart stepped up last week to announce it is raising the minimum wage for 500,000 of its employees to $10 by next year - an incredible win for those who have worked so hard on this issue. Last Thursday, TJ Maxx and Marshalls announced the same commitment to their employees. Can the rest of those low-paying industries be far behind in doing the right thing? Of course, a $10 per hour wage is far from enough to live on, but that door has now been opened and will make life at least a little easier for those workers and bring more spending power to those communities that need it most.<br />
<br />
Another issue not being dealt with on the Hill is the rebuilding of our crumbling infrastructure nationwide, which will face a funding gap of $1.1 trillion by 2020 if nothing is done. Don't our so-called "leaders" see that such an effort would generate 13 million jobs, while also boosting the bottom line of those corporations that manufacture and sell the numerous products that would be needed for such a massive undertaking? This is a win-win program that should receive bipartisan support in DC, as it has among the voting public. This topic in particular has been on the front burner for Bernie Sanders as he travels across the country to speak to the American people, finding support from both Republicans and Democrats for this national imperative. If the Republicans in Congress want to actually start leading, this would be a magnificent way to start. Alas, to date, they have offered nada, nothing, zilch - all while continuing to gorge themselves at the public trough.<br />
<br />
In recent days, the President has also been vocal in his support of net neutrality, as has Chairman Tom Wheeler of the FCC, which just adopted new rules to protect this critical modern day resource. Mr. Wheeler clearly heard the massive outpouring of support for such an action, as numerous organizations and the People have expressed their views loudly to the Commission. This decision clearly puts people first, and not mega telecommunication corporations like Verizon, Comcast and AT&T, which seek to control all of our communications and make us pay more and more for the privilege of accessing a "fast lane" to transport what we think and say. An open internet is critical to the preservation of free speech and a free society.<br />
<br />
Another feather in the President's cap is his veto of a bill supporting construction on the Alberta Tar Sands-loving Keystone XL pipeline. Of course, the President is well aware of the clock running on his tenure in the White House, as well as his legacy. Unencumbered by another campaign and - we hope - not still beholden to special interests, he must continue to act in the best interests of the people of this nation, and not the corporations and 1%. There is a great deal more he can do to trumpet Progressive policy from his bully pulpit and rally the public behind him. The recent upward bump in his poll numbers should offer him some encouragement and show that the People are responding when he acts on their behalf and for and betterment of our society.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, we see academics like Robert Reich blossoming into full-fledged activists, joining recently with MoveOn.org in the creation of a video highlighting the dangers of the Trans-Pacific Partnership ("TPP") trade agreement and why it must be stopped before it can be fast-tracked - without Congressional input or oversight - and signed, which may come in a matter of just a few months. The President is wrong in promoting this odious deal. Only 5 of 29 parts of this agreement actually deal with trade, so it is looking like just another in a long list of colossal giveaways to corporate America that do little to bolster jobs in our country and protect workers rights around the globe. This agreement would put a stranglehold on consumers' rights, and would even allow courts to be set up in partner nations that would work on behalf of corporations, allowing them to sue the governments of member nations if their bottom lines fall due to those nations' regulations. Prescription drug prices would also soar, and who knows how many more American jobs will be lost through this boondoggle that actually manages to out-NAFTA NAFTA. According to the Peterson Institute for International Economics, five million jobs have been lost in the past 10 years with these trade deals due to currency manipulation alone.<br />
<br />
Bob Reich reached three million people with his TPP video in just a few days, and is now teaming up with MoveOn again to raise money and do messaging for the woeful Democratic Party. Dems have been totally inept in this department for years and desperately need Reich's help. One can look at the success of the messaging of the Republican Party and see how they are, to a member, able to spew their factually-challenged messaging repeatedly until it is accepted as gospel on issues as disparate as Benghazi, Obamacare and Solyndra, according to Reich. And what is the message from the Dem Party? There are so many issues and achievements they could be talking about, yet they continue to fumble away opportunity after opportunity to give voters a clear choice in the voting booth. Yes, Reich is the man for this job, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and, especially, Bernie Sanders, who is very clear in what he perceives must be done to bolster the lives of struggling, hard-working Americans and return control of our country to We, the People, and not the corporations. Bernie has an agenda laid out and is talking about it every chance he gets, and thanks to PDA's Run Bernie Run campaign, he is building support from states across the country.<br />
<br />
Another Progressive - or should I say "common sense" - bill was reintroduced on February 3rd by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI): The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act (H.R. 676), which had 44 members of Congress signing up to co-sponsor the bill with Conyers on the very first day, with a few more signing on since. It was just announced that in this sign-up period, 11.4 million Americans joined the ranks of the insured under the Affordable Care Act, far exceeding even the White House's goals. Even though many millions still remain uninsured, this still should be considered a success by any measure, although it will continue to be rough sledding for the newly insured, with those high deductibles, co-pays, premiums and out-of-pocket costs they will still have to pay for medical care. This bare-bones coverage continues to be delivered through a fragmented system, with Medicaid becoming a major part of this delivery system, along with subsidies. No doubt we will begin to see self-rationing of healthcare as the unharnessed costs continue to rise, making seeing a doctor too expensive for many to afford. You can also bet that the insurers will cut back on services and further cut doctor's payments, forcing them to drop out of plans, while also exercising their right to drop doctors in the first six months from some plans. A doctor offering too many tests and services would likely target them for disposal.<br />
<br />
Let's be clear - the response by the American people to the ACA shows the need and interest is there for a truly national health plan, which can only be delivered by Expanded and Improved Medicare for All. This would be the new frontier that the President could press for in his final two years in office, honestly saying to the American people that we have opened the door to universal healthcare, and now let's go further and truly deliver a healthcare system that is affordable and covers every American starting at birth. The movement continues to build on this one, Mr. President, and you should step up and lead it. You certainly know that Medicaid - the expanding of which much of the ACA is hinged on - is a class-defined system, and delivering healthcare through single-payer would end that inequality. Labor supports H.R. 676, with 616 union organizations already on board, and this sensible approach would save $400 billion per year and improve the quality of healthcare for everyone, while also delivering free choice of doctors and ending copays, deductibles and premiums. Imagine, the same high quality healthcare for one and all. That is, after all, the American way, isn't it?<br />
<br />
- with Jonathan Stone
Reported by Huffington Post 5 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y89pws/Is-Bolder-President-Obama-Emerging-Like.htm
PoliticsTue, 03 Mar 2015 17:23:35 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y89pws/Is-Bolder-President-Obama-Emerging-Like.htmBig Oil Hates Ethanol <br />
<br />
If you are looking for my real time comments on interesting events within the resource sector, politics, and the economy I recommend you add me to your Twitter account @marinkatusa. You will get real time access to my thoughts—and its free! If you’re old school and don’t have Twitter, no worries; changes will be happening to the CDD format, and you can choose for yourself what you like and what you don’t like in these missives—more info on that in the days to come.<br />
<br />
Now, on to why Big Oil hates ethanol.<br />
<br />
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 created the Renewable Fuel Standard in the US, which really should be renamed as the “It Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time Energy Act.”<br />
<br />
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) established minimum volumes that increase on a yearly basis, of various renewable fuels that must be included in the supply of fuel for transportation. Ethanol currently is the most common form of renewable fuel. A fun fact you can throw out at your next dinner party is that most of the gasoline sold in the US is actually a blend called “E10,” which is composed of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. A blend called E85 is also available, although far less common. It is composed of 85% ethanol. Below is a graph of the minimum yearly volume that was set out as the requirement to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard. Conventional and cellulosic biofuels make up the largest portion of blending requirements with biomass and noncellulosic biofuels adding minimally in later years.<br />
<br />
Naturally one of the main goals of the RFS is to reduce the US emissions of greenhouse gases. The issue politicians, environmentalists, and industry have battled over for decades is that most of the time, saving the environment isn’t profitable. As such, industry folk are less likely to abide by voluntary standards, as their investors would rather have their paper in a bank account than growing in a tree.<br />
<br />
There are several serious macroeconomic problems that need to be addressed before the renewable fuels market becomes even close to a long–term, viable solution.<br />
<br />
Now, I know most of you already know that the government really needs to get their act together on many things, but it is especially true when it comes to ethanol mandates.<br />
<br />
The government is more than a year behind on setting the required number of RFS gallons that are to be blended. Industry has no idea what the set mandates were supposed to be in 2014, let alone 2015. There are “proposed solutions” and numbers from when the previous RFS was set, but nothing concrete. This causes all sorts of problems for the industry.<br />
<br />
First off, without knowing the required blending requirements, both producers and refiners are scratching their heads on total ethanol required for compliance. Second, as made public by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently, the secondary market for credits created by producing ethanol are becoming incredibly volatile. The Renewable Identification Number, or RIN for short, is a unique identifier created through the production of each gallon of ethanol.<br />
<br />
The RIN provides the verification that the company is blending the correct percentage of ethanol. If the company has already met blending requirements, the RIN can be sold in a secondary market to another company that needs it to meet their own yearly requirement. Therefore the only source of demand for RINs are producers and importers of transportation fuels that need to meet their obligations to use biofuels. To show the EPA that they have met the requirement, the companies give the EPA the RINs that they have accumulated. If demand for RINs is expected to increase in the future, then the current price of RINs rises as buyers try to buy inexpensive RINs today and bank them for use tomorrow. The price of RINs ran up in January from refiners banking RINs in expectation of a mandate. However, no mandate has yet been received.<br />
<br />
-Big Oil Does What Big Oil Wants-<br />
<br />
Big Oil is notorious for placing shareholder interests above those of governments and environmentalist groups. As such it should come as no surprise that the Big Oil companies are less than enthusiastic about using less oil and more ethanol in gasoline. The less oil that is used in gasoline, the lower the demand for their oil production and in turn the lower their profits.<br />
<br />
Big Oil has made some rather humorous attempts at dissuading the public on ethanol. These include designing and funding a flawed study to demonstrate the damaging effects of higher ethanol-blended gasoline using hand-picked cars. Big Oil tried to sue the EPA over blending requirements, which was thrown out in the Washington, DC, Appeals court. Big Oil then attempted to take it to the US Supreme Court, only to have it be tossed out again.<br />
<br />
Another interesting wrinkle is the divesting of retail gasoline divisions into their own separate entities. By doing this, Big Oil can claim to the EPA that they have no way to ensure retail distribution of higher blended ethanol gasoline.<br />
<br />
While the above stories are rather amusing, it unfortunately drives home a serious problem. Until you get Big Oil on board, they are going to do their darndest to keep ethanol blending requirements at the current 10% level. This creates what is known as the blend wall, which currently stands at approximately 13.7 to 13.8 billion gallons of ethanol.<br />
<br />
Big Oil wants as much oil in gasoline as possible, so why would they ever want to change the restriction to a higher blending requirement? If the total demand for gasoline is 130 billion gallons and the blending requirement is 10%, this means that 13 billion gallons of ethanol are blended with 117 billion gallons of gasoline to meet total demand. Moving this requirement up to 20% would mean 26 billion gallons of ethanol and 104 billion gallons of gasoline. The end result is a big loss to Big Oil and their shareholders.<br />
<br />
Another issue is consumer demand. Firstly there are only 1,275 gas stations that sell E85 in the US. This might sound like a lot but in the domestic US there are over 120,000 gas stations. This means that only 1% of US gas stations sell highly concentrated ethanol-based fuel. This makes it virtually impossible to get higher ethanol-based fuels out to the mainstream. The only way to solve that would be to subsidize the retail fuel industry. But Big Oil, as we know, controls that.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, the move toward electric and hybrid cars has been very strong in the last few years. Just look at a stock chart of Tesla Motors. The best way to see the difference is to plot the gasoline demand forecasts from the EIA. Plotting the demand forecast from 2007 along with this year’s forecast, we can see the huge difference.<br />
<br />
Why is this an issue? Thinking back to the RFS mandates in the first chart, those are volume- not percentage-based thresholds. In 2022 the mandate calls for 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be blended into the gasoline stream. From the 2007 EIA forecast, gasoline demand was supposed to be approximately 165 billion gallons. This means that there would be 128 billion gallons of gasoline, along with the 36 billion gallons of ethanol, which translates to roughly 22% ethanol in the total gasoline stream. Using the 2014 EIA numbers and the current RFS mandate for ethanol, ethanol would be 31% of the total gasoline stream. This means that on a per-gallon basis, the blending mandates must be much higher in order to compensate for this lower demand.<br />
<br />
All these demand side issues are cause for concern, but as if those weren’t enough, the supply side of the equation has its own problems. The forecasted margins for the ethanol crush spread, which is the relationship between input costs and output revenue for ethanol, is forecast to move into negative territory as the year progresses.<br />
<br />
On the heels of this, leading ethanol refiners Valero Energy and Archer Daniels have both indicated during conference calls that they would be idling higher-cost plants to conserve costs.<br />
<br />
This makes complete sense when we look at the chart below, compiled using data from the US Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. The return over operating costs is calculated as the difference between the revenues from ethanol plant outputs (ethanol and dried distillers grains with solubles [DDGS]) and the costs of variable production inputs (corn, natural gas, and other costs, such as enzymes, labor, electricity, and water).<br />
<br />
As if margins were not already tight enough, there have been rumours circulating that US farmers may be backing out of leased acreage this summer. Less corn production would increase the price of corn, which would directly increase the operating costs of ethanol producers.<br />
<br />
Compounding the problem are near record highs in ethanol inventories. With excess supply in the market place and already low gasoline and ethanol prices, this is a further warning shot across the bow for ethanol investors.<br />
<br />
-Buffettology on the US oil sector-<br />
<br />
Buffett would tell you, if you asked him, that an investor should absolutely avoid the ethanol market in the current market. Why? Because of his two rules:<br />
<br />
1. Don’t lose money.<br />
<br />
1. Don’t forget rule #1.<br />
<br />
Even one of the largest ethanol producers stated clearly that companies will lose less money by shutting down than by trying to produce through this difficult stretch.<br />
<br />
-How Do You Make Money from Re-Fracking and Other Enhanced Oil Recovery innovations?-<br />
<br />
The current energy markets are volatile, but a speculator must use volatility to his own advantage, to build positions in companies that have suffered as a result of the current market correction.<br />
<br />
I follow a very disciplined approach and use very advanced mathematics and technical knowledge to position myself in the best energy companies.<br />
<br />
Come see what I’m doing with my own money. You’ll get access to every Casey Energy Report newsletter I’ve written in the last decade, as well as my next report, which will not only cover the potential of re-fracking, but will reveal which company is the best oil and gas producer in the United States today.<br />
<br />
Being profitable at $50 oil is no small feat, but one company has the absolute best cutting-edge enhanced oil recovery and re-fracking techniques. Not to mention, the management team has been right on every macroeconomic call they have made in 20 years.<br />
<br />
The company's name and our recommendation is available right here.<br />
<br />
I can’t make the trade for you, but I can help you help yourself. I’m making big bets—are you ready to step up and join me?
Reported by Proactive Investors 6 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Business/754y89nkc/Big-Oil-Hates-Ethanol.htm
BusinessTue, 03 Mar 2015 16:11:02 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Business/754y89nkc/Big-Oil-Hates-Ethanol.htmAston Villa boss Tim Sherwood calls for cauldron of noise for...<IMG SRC="http://6b8a6de2eaa8f08f1958-a6e9903da5948a96c94b568c297d52a8.r48.cf3.rackcdn.com/3286-Aston-Villa-boss-Tim-Sherwood-calls-for-cauldron.jpg" ALT="Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood calls for cauldron of noise for...">
ASTON Villa boss Tim Sherwood wants his players to step up to the plate and give the Villa Park faithful something to shout about.Nineteenth-placed Villa are staring down the barrel and Championship football awaits if form does not pick up.Saturday's defeat to Newcastle – which was Sherwood's second game in charge – was the club's seventh defeat on the spin.Speaking of the importance of tonight's fixture with Albion, Sherwood said: "It is a big one. Every game is massive for us...
Reported by Sutton Coldfield Observer 8 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Sport/754y89l1y/Aston-Villa-boss-Tim-Sherwood-calls-for-cauldron.htm
SportTue, 03 Mar 2015 14:46:50 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Sport/754y89l1y/Aston-Villa-boss-Tim-Sherwood-calls-for-cauldron.htmO'Malley Won't Run For The SenateWASHINGTON -- Sen. Barbara Mikulski's decision to retire after five terms in office set off a wave of speculation about which of the myriad Maryland Democrats would run to replace her. On the top of that list was the state's former Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is eying another run for office and could, theoretically, decide that taking on Hillary Clinton for the presidential nomination is simply too tough a task.<br />
<br />
Alas, on Tuesday morning, O’Malley released a statement fully ruling out a run in the 2016 Maryland Senate race.<br />
<br />
“Senator Mikulski has done an outstanding job representing Maryland in the U.S. Senate for nearly 30 years," he said. "I am hopeful and confident that very capable public servants with a desire to serve in the Senate will step up as candidates for this important office. I will not be one of them.”<br />
<br />
With O'Malley's absent from the contest, the Democratic primary still stays wide open. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is likely to make a run, an aide told the Washington Post. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been floated as a candidate as well, as have Reps. Donna Edwards, Elijah Cummings and John Sarbanes and U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.
Reported by Huffington Post 9 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y89j98/Malley-Won-Run-For-The-Senate.htm
PoliticsTue, 03 Mar 2015 13:44:14 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y89j98/Malley-Won-Run-For-The-Senate.htmChelsea transfer news: Brad Friedel would only be third choice as Blues step up search for Petr Cech replacementChelsea have begun the search for Petr Cech's replacement with the Czech international expected to leave the club in the summer, report the Evening Standard.
Reported by Independent 12 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Sports/754y89eon/Chelsea-transfer-news-Brad-Friedel-would-only-be.htm
SportsTue, 03 Mar 2015 10:47:16 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Sports/754y89eon/Chelsea-transfer-news-Brad-Friedel-would-only-be.htmSit-ins Launches New, Innovative Technology That Helps Musicians Take their Art to the Next LevelThis new technology allows musicians the opportunity to be part of an ensemble and enjoy the benefits of playing with elite players from their computer. It gives classical musicians a better, faster, more inspired way to grow.<br />
<br />
Durango, CO (PRWEB) March 03, 2015<br />
<br />
Sit-ins is introducing technology that provides a new way for musicians of all levels to enjoy the benefits of playing with others in a musical ensemble. While sheet music and various products on the market focus on learning notes, Sit-ins focuses on a beautiful, immersive playing experience. The outcome is that they become more expressive and inspired musicians.<br />
<br />
“Until now, this kind of learning and playing was only available for a few,” said co-founder and composer James Bowers. Now, by marrying technology and art, everyone can experience the growth that playing with master musicians offers.”<br />
<br />
The technology has recorded live performances with each instrument isolated making them available for playback in any combination. For example, a string quartet player can:· take over first violin by muting it and playing along with the other instruments<br />
· play along with only the first violin by muting the other instruments<br />
· study the inner voices by muting the first violin and cello<br />
<br />
The video of the live performances allows the user to:· see the communication between the players<br />
· learn visual cues used by master artists<br />
· feel like you are part of the ensemble<br />
<br />
The scrolling notation of the instrument of your choice allows the user to:· view notation for any instrument<br />
· read without having to turn pages<br />
<br />
Printable pdf’s of the full score and individual parts are available for:<br />
<br />
· live performances<br />
· personal annotations<br />
· score study<br />
<br />
To give the musician ultimate control, Sit-ins allows users to slow down the tempo without changing the pitch. Sections can also be looped. With recently recorded music from top ensembles in Budapest, the sessions were videotaped live to capture all of the passion and spontaneity of master players.<br />
<br />
“When people play with our technology, they feel challenged to step-up,” said Lily Weisbecker, co-founder of Sit-ins. “They are engaged so they play longer. They make mistakes freely without fear of embarrassment which is an incredible way to learn.”<br />
<br />
Musicians can download Sit-ins immediately on the website at no cost. The available repertoire features music from esteemed classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Bach.<br />
<br />
About the Company<br />
<br />
Inspired by the idea that technology shouldn't just be teaching us notes, but helping us express ourselves through music, James Bowers put his lifetime of music and technology to work to invent Sit-ins. Aided by the start-up accelerator program, SCAPE, in SW Colorado, the company was founded in February 2014 and began sales the following December.
Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/754y89bv8/Sit-ins-Launches-New-Innovative-Technology-That-Helps.htm
Press ReleasesTue, 03 Mar 2015 08:14:43 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/754y89bv8/Sit-ins-Launches-New-Innovative-Technology-That-Helps.htmNRL step up concussion crackdownThe NRL have announced further measures to help reduce concussions in 2015 with medical officers to have immediate sideline access to footage of incidents.
Reported by Sydney Morning Herald 15 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Australia/754y89b8b/NRL-step-up-concussion-crackdown.htm
AustraliaTue, 03 Mar 2015 07:39:20 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Australia/754y89b8b/NRL-step-up-concussion-crackdown.htmA legislation well done: Thoughts on Maharashtra's beef banSo a creation of the 1995 Shiv Sena BJP combine— the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 1995, has finally received presidential assent, after having been re-sent for approval by the new Government. <br />
<br />
I hadn't been able to get my hands on the Bill as yet, but since when has that ever stopped outrage? In my head, the legislation, its implementation and enforcement, would all pale when compared to the wild turns that my imagination had been taking since morning when the news broke. For when it comes to the contraband, nothing else comes to mind than the Narcotics, Drugs, and Psychotropic Substances Act and the procedures under that legislation. For those not in the know— the NDPS treats cases of personal consumption and deemed peddling (i.e. if you have beyond a quantity fit for personal consumption, it's presumed that you will be selling the same) quite differently. In the former, you have the option to plead addiction and seek rehabilitation. <br />
<br />
So if you were caught with a plate of boti kebabs, or a burger, do you get to claim addiction to beef, and therefore get yourself admitted to a shakha for rehabilitation? Will you have to see your counsellor once a week for six months, and write “Gaay hamari maata hai” a hundred times, and maybe withstand a medium-rare T-bone steak being placed in front of you as the ultimate test? And how much beef is too much beef, that could possibly be assumed to be a “commercial quantity?” God forbid they relied upon measly portions in Bombay restaurants to determine this— my partner and I put away half kilos of tenderloin with ease, and we are hardly big eaters. Which brings up another issue— like cocaine and MDMA, would different cuts of beef have different standards, in such a scenario? Don't you feel fuller eating a 200 gram steak than eating 200 grams of mince?<br />
<br />
I imagined defence lawyers having a field day. Throughout my career in Bombay, I marvelled at the amazing skills of NDPS lawyers rattling off chemical compositions of drugs and pointing out additives in cocaine and ecstacy pills which actually brought down the potency of the drug, opening the doors for their clients to claim that the offence was actually not as serious as originally portrayed. Now half of a seized patty would have to be sent to a forensic lab for testing, and lawyers would look to soya content to get their clients out on bail. Does the doneness of the meat count towards a more heinous offence? Would we have therefore new approaches to determining “rarest of the rare” offences? <br />
<br />
Investigative methods would have to step up to the challenge of the meat going underground. Police personnel would pose as beef enthusiasts, and seek entry into closed Facebook groups run by food bloggers dying to reveal the location of the next cowabunga event. These parties would be raided by special task forces, zeroing in on contented folk with the familiar drippings of a medium rare burger, and maybe some mayonnaise and mustard, on their chins and shirts. Would blood samples be checked for elevated cholesterol levels?<br />
<br />
Imagine police officers stopping customers stepping out of suspect restaurants—stalls around the Bandra west station, Mallu and Goan restaurants—and running toothpick tests with carefully calibrated wood to pluck out those stubborn fibres of meat that lodge at the back of your molars. Beef enthusiasts would start packing floss as part of their party kits, and if caught, plead bona fides: <br />
<br />
“I was told that it was mutton, sir!”<br />
<br />
Followed by a whack from the police.<br />
<br />
“Bade ka ya chhote ka, poocha tha kya?”<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for my creative musings, from the preliminary reports that I have read (since the Bill was drafted in 1995, we'll have to wait for a scanned copy to be uploaded at some point) there is still some confusion over what has been banned— and this includes bullocks and water buffaloes. Till now, cattle which were certified to be “fit for slaughter” were permitted to be slaughtered, and this legislation extends protection to all cattle. Will this see an exodus of elderly cattle from the State?<br />
<br />
I suppose till we get more details, I can continue daydreaming about the Cattle Investigative Department swinging into action:<br />
<br />
“Daya, refrigerator thod do!”<br />
<br />
<br />
(Thanks to Abhijit Kadle.)<br />
<br />
StandpointAnalysisAmba Salelkardna webdeskamendmentBandraBeefbloggersBombayburgerCattlecholesterolCocaineBharatiya Janata Party (BJP)MaharashtrameatkebabsDrugsnarcoticsMuttonPsychotropic Substances ActrehabilitationShiv SenaWeb ExclusivespecialTuesday, 3 March 2015 - 12:28pmTuesday, 3 March 2015 - 12:28pm<br />
dnai.in/249A legislation well done: Thoughts on Maharashtra's beef ban
Reported by DNA 15 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Front+Page/754y89axn/legislation-well-done-Thoughts-on-Maharashtra.htm
Front PageTue, 03 Mar 2015 07:29:10 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Front+Page/754y89axn/legislation-well-done-Thoughts-on-Maharashtra.htmChina State Media Seen Stepping-up Anti-Western RhetoricUnder Xi, Chinese state media step-up anti-West rhetoric with attacks on Western values
Reported by ABCNews.com 19 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Front+Page/754y896ua/China-State-Media-Seen-Stepping-up-Anti-Western.htm
Front PageTue, 03 Mar 2015 03:08:51 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Front+Page/754y896ua/China-State-Media-Seen-Stepping-up-Anti-Western.htmReal-Life Frank Underwoods: Netflix, 'House of Cards' and Third WayFrank Underwood is known for deceiving people into acting against their own best interests. (We'll miss you, President Walker.) Now we learn that this trait may extend to the series which features him.<br />
<br />
There have already been at least two debunkings of the economics behind the fictional president's wacky "America Works" plan. But the greatest deceptions on House of Cards can be found in the misleading arguments, presented as "truth," which suggest that cutting "entitlements" is a necessity and raising taxes isn't even an option.<br />
<br />
The fact that Netflix has insisted upon heavy tax breaks for filming the show in Maryland may be coincidental. Here's what's not: We have learned that the series hired a leading "new Democrat" (read, "corporate Democrat") as a consultant for the show's most misleading episode.<br />
<br />
The audience loves watching Frank Underwood deceive other characters. It's less likely to appreciate being deceived itself, especially as some real-life Frank Underwoods are launching an attack against the party's populist wing.<br />
<br />
*The Spoiler*<br />
<br />
If you're like me, House of Cards has been a binge-watching guilty pleasure, a chance to set aside the burden of idealism for a dark but engaging worldview which is half Machiavelli and half telenovela.<br />
<br />
But who knew that the show itself - not the characters, but the show - had a hidden agenda? It's already taken on teachers. Now comes the anti-"entitlement" tirade from Frank Underwood in Episode One of the new season. Frank, despite his evil ways and means, has an ambitious dream, which is introduced during a lengthy scene in which he lectures his staff, and the audience, on some highly misleading "facts."<br />
<br />
How did that happen? How did the "AmericaWorks" fictional plot point come to be built on real-world lies?<br />
<br />
Here's a clue: Episode One's credits list Jim Kessler as a consultant. Kessler is, as his IMDB biography notes, the co-founder of Third Way. That's a Wall Street-funded, so-called "centrist" Democratic organization with a mission: to promote neoliberal economics and make the world safe (at least financially) for its wealthy patrons.<br />
<br />
Third Way has consistently misrepresented the financial condition of Social Security, misdirected the public debate about Medicare, and generally promoted the socially liberal but fiscally conservative worldview of its patrons.<br />
<br />
Kessler and co-founder Jon Cowan carefully tiptoed their way through the minefield of public opinion for years, pretending to be technocrats rather than de facto lobbyists for powerful interests. They finally lost their balance last year. When confronted with the rise of Elizabeth Warren and the populist wing of the Democratic Party, they lashed out at Sen. Warren with an intemperate Wall Street Journal op-ed.<br />
<br />
*Frank's Spin - and the Show's*<br />
<br />
Frank's a Democrat, like all Third Way members, and his rant is filled with exactly the kind of misinformation and manipulation that we've come to expect from that corporatist crowd. "Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, every entitlement program that is sucking us dry," says Underwood in his rant, "I want it on the table."<br />
<br />
"Sucking us dry"? That's economic gibberish.<br />
<br />
"We obviously have to get back to some basics," Underwood says in his rant, "remind ourselves of some of the facts that are before us ..." (emphasis ours.)<br />
<br />
Underwood continues: "This (the number $32,781, displayed on a flip chart) is what the average senior gets in one year from entitlements ...This money is a job we could be giving to a single mother or a student just out of school. Now at the moment, 44 cents of every tax dollar goes to pay for these programs. By 2030, it'll be over half, 62 cents."<br />
<br />
"Entitlements are bankrupting us," he concludes.<br />
<br />
Except that they're not. Social Security accounts for 24 percent of the Federal budget, but it is forbidden by law from adding to the overall deficit. What's more, its trust fund is currently holding $2.8 trillion dollars in reserves. The statement is meaningless.<br />
<br />
*Straw (Man) Polls*<br />
<br />
Then Frank says his chief of staff has conducted a poll in which seventy-four percent of voters said they agreed with this statement: "Doing what's best for my country means doing some things that I don't like."<br />
<br />
"Now, what does that tell us?" Underwood asks. "We have to do the things that people won't like. And even when we do, three out of four of them will go along with us."<br />
<br />
This is exactly the kind of poll the real-life corporate crowd loves to conduct - so general as to be meaningless. When asked specific questions, most voters - including Republicans, Dems, and independents - don't want cuts to Social Security or Medicare. 76 percent of self-described Tea Party members objected in one poll. And they'll punish any politician who tries.<br />
<br />
Voters want millionaires and billionaires to pay the same payroll tax rate as other Americans (the tax is currently capped at approximately $118,500 per year of income). They want Social Security's benefits increased, which makes sense, since retirement benefits have been decimated in this country and our benefits don't fare well when compared to those of other industrialized nations. And they're willing to step up and pay for these increases with higher taxes, according to a poll from the National Academy for Social Insurance.<br />
<br />
That's more than the Third Way's financiers are willing to do.<br />
<br />
"*Brave" Corporate Politicos*<br />
<br />
The Third Way crowd loves to present itself as young, bold, and visionary, and their opponents as "special interests." House of Cards sticks to this script by employing an aging political apparatchik as the voice of liberalism.<br />
<br />
"The programs that you want to scale back or dismantle are the bedrock of the American dream," says the gray-haired, soft-hearted cliché. "You work hard, you pay your taxes--"<br />
<br />
Underwood interrupts. "No, I'm sorry, they were the bedrock of the American dream. But they're not anymore. Certainly not for the ten million people who are out of work."<br />
<br />
In Episode Two, Underwood gives a "bold" speech outlining his plan. It begins:<i>For too long, we in Washington have been lying to you. We say we're here to serve you, when in fact, we're serving ourselves. And why? We are driven by our own desire to get reelected ...<br />
</i>That's another favored trope: that the corporate politicians are courageous (as if it's brave to serve the wealthy and powerful!), while their opponents are cravenly pandering to the voters - by representing them.<br />
<br />
"That ends tonight," says Underwood. "Tonight, I give you the truth."<br />
<br />
There's that idea again, that the corporate version of reality is "fact" or "truth." We're told that "the root of the problem" is "entitlements" - a favorite word in the corporate crowd because it has negative connotations. (We've written about that before.)<br />
<br />
"Let me be clear," adds Underwood. "You are entitled to nothing ... " Just like real-life Third Way types, Underwood is trying to cancel our nation's social contract.<br />
<br />
*Real-Life Frank Underwoods*<br />
<br />
At least Underwood wants to use the money to create jobs, which is more than most corporate Dems are willing to do. That's a little disturbing: Real-life Third Wayers seem less responsive to the public than a fictional sociopath.<br />
<br />
About those real-life Underwoods: You can read about them in an article TheHill.com published this week under the headline "Centrist Dems ready strike against Warren wing." They claim to be truth-tellers too, but the truth is their policies don't work for anyone but the wealthy and privileged.<br />
<br />
Their ideas don't work politically, either: Congressional Democrats ran on their platform in 2010 and 2014 and lost big.<br />
<br />
*What They're Not Telling You*<br />
<br />
You know what Frank Underwood and his real-life counterparts never mention? Taxes. The payroll tax shift, combined with a financial transaction tax and an increase in the payroll tax rate, could fund an increased Social Security program in perpetuity.<br />
<br />
They're trying to make us believe in a false choice instead: between health care and financial security for the elderly and disabled, or jobs and growth for the young. This country has accomplished both before, and can gain - with a balanced program of government investment in growth, higher taxation for the wealthy, regulation of Wall Street (whose gambling got us into our current mess), and sound financial policy.<br />
<br />
We could cut our health care costs by as much as 40 percent by doing what other industrialized nations do: negotiating with drug companies, changing physicians' financial incentives, and limiting the role of for-profit medicine.<br />
<br />
Then there is the overarching economic problem of extreme and growing inequality. A more equal economy, like the one we saw during the decades of our greatest growth, would address many of these financial problems. That's another "truth" Frank and his creators forgot to mention.<br />
<br />
*Billions for Boeing*<br />
<br />
You know what else the "centrists" don't talk about much? Military spending. It produces far few jobs for the buck than spending in other sectors - including health care.<br />
<br />
Military spending is 19 percent of the budget, nearly as much as Social Security - and it does come out of general revenues. So why the free pass? As it happens, the defense industry is well-represented in some of the groups fighting to cut Social Security and Medicare.<br />
<br />
Netflix itself has pushed aggressively for tax breaks. It has played Underwood-style hardball with the state of Maryland, as Citizens for Tax Justice noted, extracting more than $62 million in tax breaks from a film credit program which only produces 10 cents for every dollar granted in economic benefits.<br />
<br />
You can fund a lot of "entitlements" with that kind of money. But, as we were saying, that wouldn't be in a corporation's best interests. As Frank might say, in his smooth Southern drawl: Now isn't that a coincidence?<br />
<br />
*Sociopathic Politics*<br />
<br />
Don't turn your back on Frank Underwood. Everybody knows he's a murderous sociopath.But he's portrayed as someone who is capable of telling the political truth because he is a sociopath. Only he can see that our old people are spending us into oblivion, because only he is unafraid to take on the "special interests" and think the unthinkable.<br />
<br />
I'd like to think that the producers used a corporate "Third Way" Democrat as a consultant because it suits Frank's character. He's amoral and incapable of empathy, after all, which does arguably make for a good fit. That doesn't seem to be their motivation.<br />
<br />
As an audience we're asked to believe that Frank Underwood has been liberated from the petty restrictions of conventional minds and sees the "truth." But it's a lie, packaged as truth and peddled by House of Cards. Why? A wise politician once spoke of a "conspiracy of shared values," and that may be all there is to this story.<br />
<br />
Whatever the motivations, it's a deception nonetheless. And since everybody in Washington watches the show, it's a potentially destructive one.<br />
<br />
Frank Underwood is a liar, thief, and murderer. Sure, we can all enjoy the show if we want. But let's not join Frank, or Netflix, or House of Cards, as they try to push America's seniors in front of a train.
Reported by Huffington Post 20 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y896si/Real-Life-Frank-Underwoods-Netflix-House-of.htm
PoliticsTue, 03 Mar 2015 02:47:08 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Politics/754y896si/Real-Life-Frank-Underwoods-Netflix-House-of.htmIndia: Mooring in foreign shores?<IMG SRC="http://6b8a6de2eaa8f08f1958-a6e9903da5948a96c94b568c297d52a8.r48.cf3.rackcdn.com/3582-India-Mooring-in-foreign-shores.jpg" ALT="India: Mooring in foreign shores?">
In the second week of this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles. This is another version of his South Asian neighbourhood diplomacy, only the neighbours here are long neglected oceanic ones. Modi will be the first Indian PM to visit Sri Lanka in 28 years, and first to visit Seychelles since Indira Gandhi, the last prime ministerial visit to Mauritius was in 2005 and to Maldives in 2011.*The long-term goal of the Indian Navy is to exercise sea control and have the ability of power projects ashore in its region of primary interest. But India’s present challenge is to step up its game to maintain its presence in the region in the face of stiff Chinese competition. file pic for representation*<br />
<br />
Concern mounted in India in 2007 when Chinese President Hu Jintao rounded off his eight-nation trip to Africa with a stop at Seychelles. Last year, they reached a crescendo with the berthing of Chinese submarines in Colombo, and the visits of President Xi Jinping to Sri Lanka and Maldives, as part of his South Asian tour that brought him to India.<br />
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China is using economic, military and diplomatic tools to gain influence over coastal states and small islands in the IOR and is using its investments and aid to consolidate its strategic positions. In addition, there is the reality of China’s steadily growing influence in the littoral through military and economic ties with our immediate neighbours, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.<br />
<br />
Just how intense the competition is, became evident last month when Male’s main water desalination plant collapsed. Just a day after India sent five aircraft and two ships on an emergency mission to aid Maldives to overcome its water crisis, China pointedly sent a military vessel carrying 960 ton of fresh water and donated $500,000 for the repairs of the plant. Maldives is a particular area of concern to India since it was the object of back to back visits by Chinese President Xi Jinping in September and Defence Minister Chang Wanquan in November 2014. There have been persistent reports about China’s desire to construct a naval facility in the archipelago.<br />
<br />
Chinese trade in the IOR has steadily grown in recent years. Beijing has important ties with resource-rich nations of East Africa and the Persian Gulf. It has a major role in the Gwadar port in Pakistan, at the mouth of the strategic Persian Gulf. Last November, China gave a call for the creation of a maritime silk route to enhance connectivity and trade among the Asian nations, and it has now operationalised a $40 billion fund to assist in the building of port and infrastructure in relation to it.<br />
<br />
India can hardly object to the growth of Chinese trade and commerce in the IOR and its efforts to enhance connectivity. Indeed, it is not difficult to see why regional countries welcome Chinese interest and investment. But this has been accompanied by a significant stepping up of military activity as well. Last year, the PLA Navy carried out a special exercise on breaching the Lombok Strait that leads into the IOR from the Java Sea. It also sent a nuclear propelled submarine on a patrol across the Indian Ocean, ostensibly on an anti-piracy mission. Indeed, China’s robust participation in the anti-piracy task force off Somalia have given it a great opportunity to maintain a presence in IOR and familiarise itself with the region. But what has gotten New Delhi’s goat were the visits made by two Chinese conventional submarines to Colombo harbour. One of them, was clearly timed to coincide with the visit on September 7, 2014, of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an important Indian ally, to Sri Lanka.<br />
<br />
Geography and culture favour India in the IOR. The Indian peninsula juts out into the ocean and gives us unparalleled location astride important sea lanes. The Indian diaspora is scattered across the region from South Africa to Myanmar and the Persian Gulf. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands sit at the head of the Malacca Straits through which 30 per cent of the world trade passes which includes 50 per cent of oil being shipped. For this reason, China has been exploring the alternate routes via Lombok and Sunda Straits, as well as developing over-land pipelines to connect via Kyaukphyu (Sittwe) in Myanmar and Gwadar in Pakistan. There is an even grandiose talk of cutting a canal across the Isthmus of Kra.<br />
<br />
The Indian Navy’s Maritime Doctrine describes its “primary areas of interest” to include our territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone out to 200 nautical miles, the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and their “littoral reaches”, the choke points at Malacca, Sunda, Lombok, Hormuz, Bab el Mandeb, and the Cape of Good Hope. The southern IOR, Red Sea and its littoral, South China Sea and the West Pacific are areas of secondary interest.<br />
<br />
The long-term goal of the IN is to exercise sea control and have the ability of power projects ashore in its region of primary interest. But India’s present challenge is to step up its game to maintain its presence in the region in the face of stiff Chinese competition. It has developed relations through naval diplomacy, which includes the transfer of patrol craft and reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters. Now it needs to consolidate these through enhanced trade and investment aimed at integrating the region into India's economic sphere.<br />
<br />
New Delhi cannot match Beijing in terms of resources, but what it does have is location, a great deal of goodwill and also friendly allies, especially the IOR’s hegemon-the US. Even so, India needs to up the ante by finding money to put into strategic investments and projects across the IOR-whether it is Myanmar, Iran, Sri Lanka or Mauritius. The way to do it is not governmental schemes which are all running late, but to draw strength from India’s entrepreneurial class and the private sector.<br />
<br />
The writer is a Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi
Reported by Mid-Day 17 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/India/754y898qx/India-Mooring-in-foreign-shores.htm
IndiaTue, 03 Mar 2015 05:09:40 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/India/754y898qx/India-Mooring-in-foreign-shores.htmTottenham v Chelsea FA Youth Cup semi-final will showcase Spurs' golden generationTottenham face Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup semi-final and manager Maurico Pochettino is looking forward to the youngsters making the step up
Reported by Telegraph.co.uk 23 hours ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Sports/754y893f5/Tottenham-Chelsea-FA-Youth-Cup-semi-final.htm
SportsMon, 02 Mar 2015 23:18:25 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Sports/754y893f5/Tottenham-Chelsea-FA-Youth-Cup-semi-final.htmCritics of Comcast-Time Warner Cable Deal Step Up AttacksCritics of Comcast’s deal for Time Warner Cable are stepping up their efforts to oppose the deal, as the FCC turns its attention from one controversial issue in net neutrality toward two others: whether to approve both the Comcast $45 billion deal for TWC and AT&T’s $49 billion deal for DirecTV.<br />
<br />
Arguing that the FCC’s decision to take action on net neutrality doesn’t change any of the reasons the agency and the Justice Department should reject Comcast’s deal, the Stop Mega Comcast Coalition and the Networks for Competition and Choice members at a press conference Monday said the Comcast deal remains bad for consumers and for the creative industry and threatens competition.<br />
<br />
*Also Read:* FCC Net Neutrality Reactions: Netflix, Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Applaud Vote<br />
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“The merger increases the incentive and ability of the merged entity to harm current competitors,” said Markham Erickson, speaking for the Networks for Competition and Choice. He said the leverage that Comcast would have with TWC’s subscribers added in would make it difficult for competitors to offer real competition.<br />
<br />
Jeff Blum, deputy general counsel of Dish Network, said “net neutrality does not come close to stopping” the competitive harms of the Comcast deal.<br />
<br />
“There are innumerable ways they can sabotage over-the-top competition,” Blum said of attempts to offer alternatives to cable TV over the Web.<br />
<br />
*Also Read:* Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Al Sharpton Slapped With $20 Billion Racial Discrimination Lawsuit<br />
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Both the Comcast and the AT&T deal need approval from the Justice Department and from the FCC. The Justice Department considers the anti-trust implications of each deal, while the FCC considers the public interest impacts.<br />
<br />
Both deals have drawn opposition, but the opposition to the Comcast deals has been far more fierce.<br />
<br />
While the AT&T-DirecTV deal is likely to win approval with conditions, critics of the Comcast deal have urged its rejection. They argue it gives Comcast too big a percentage of cable subscribers and broadband users.<br />
<br />
Comcast argues that because TWC and Comcast operate in different areas, the deal offers no antitrust impact. It argues the deal benefits consumers and is necessary for Comcast to achieve the kind of efficiencies rivals have.<br />
<br />
*Also Read:* Comcast-TWC Rips Discovery, Netflix in FCC Merger Comments<br />
<br />
Critics say the clout the deal would give Comcast in negotiating programming contracts will make it difficult for rivals to fairly compete.<br />
<br />
Blum said Comcast could sign deals with content providers that would hamper their ability to offer similar content over the Web and could use its leverage to get pricing that smaller content providers can’t match. He said the end result would make it difficult for rivals to launch competing operations in Comcast territories.<br />
<br />
Not yet clear is whether the FCC and Chairman Tom Wheeler, having fought a bruising battle over net neutrality, might be reluctant to face another bruising fight over the mergers.<br />
<br />
“Just having a taken a very strong action on net neutrality, I don’t think the chairman would be very happy to allow a merger to go through that could eviscerate the net neutrality protections that allows them to achieve some of the same anticompetitive means through other ends,” said John Bergmayer, senior staff attorney for Public Knowledge.<br />
<br />
Bergmayer added he didn’t have the impression the FCC was making “political considerations” a factor in reviewing the Comcast’s deal programming implications.<br />
<br />
*Related stories from TheWrap:*<br />
<br />
Twitter Scorecard: #TheDress vs. Net Neutrality vs. Runaway Llamas<br />
<br />
FCC Net Neutrality Reactions: Netflix, Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Applaud Vote<br />
<br />
FCC Gives Final OK to Net Neutrality
Reported by The Wrap 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/US/754y890jv/Critics-of-Comcast-Time-Warner-Cable-Deal-Step.htm
USMon, 02 Mar 2015 21:19:12 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/US/754y890jv/Critics-of-Comcast-Time-Warner-Cable-Deal-Step.htm‘Spider-Man’ Reboot: Drew Goddard to Write, Direct for Sony, MarvelAfter working with Marvel on Netflix’s upcoming “Daredevil” series, Drew Goddard is in talks to write and direct the new “Spider-Man” reboot for Sony Pictures and Marvel, according to Latino Review.<br />
<br />
Representatives for Sony, Marvel and Goddard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. While TheWrap does not have its own confirmation at this point, Latino Review has a solid track record when it comes to Marvel news, and this post will be updated as soon as the above parties respond.<br />
<br />
*Also Read:* The New ‘Spider-Man’ Universe: Who’s In, Who’s Out<br />
<br />
Rumors were flying over the weekend that producers Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige had found a director, and Goddard is the perfect man for the job. He had been attached to direct “Sinister Six” for Sony after wrapping the first season of Marvel/Netflix’s “Daredevil” series.<br />
<br />
While Reddit reports say Dylan O’Brien has been cast as “Spider-Man,” that isn’t remotely true, according to insiders with knowledge of the situation.<br />
<br />
The new incarnation of Spider-Man will be high-school-aged and is expected to make his debut in Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War,” though the studio has yet to confirm such an appearance.<br />
<br />
*Also Read:* ‘Spider-Man’ Reboot: 9 Young Actors Who Could Replace Andrew Garfield (Photos)<br />
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Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are executive producers on Sony/Marvel’s “Spider-Man” reboot, which will bow in 2017. Latino Review also claims the new film could fall under the “Spectacular Spider-Man” moniker.<br />
<br />
Goddard has plenty of geek cred, as his credits include “Lost,” “Cloverfield,” “Alias,” “Angel” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” He also helped rescue Paramount’s “World War Z” with a crucial rewrite when Brad Pitt‘s zombie movie was in trouble.<br />
<br />
Goddard is represented by UTA.<br />
<br />
*Related stories from TheWrap:*<br />
<br />
Critics of Comcast-Time Warner Cable Deal Step Up Attacks<br />
<br />
'Spider-Man' Reboot: Drew Goddard to Write, Direct for Sony, Marvel<br />
<br />
'Orange Is the New Black,' 'Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp' Get Netflix Release Dates<br />
<br />
Savannah Guthrie Anchoring 'Nightly News' While Lester Holt Tends to Family Medical Emergency<br />
<br />
'Divergent' Author Veronica Roth Scores Deal to Write Two More Books
Reported by The Wrap 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/US/754y890jw/Spider-Man-Reboot-Drew-Goddard-to-Write-Direct.htm
USMon, 02 Mar 2015 21:19:12 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/US/754y890jw/Spider-Man-Reboot-Drew-Goddard-to-Write-Direct.htmINSIGHT – Blood near the Kremlin: Russia’s media fight backMOSCOW (Reuters) - A corpse on a bloodstained bridge, with the Kremlin's red stars glowing behind: the perfect symbolic backdrop, Russian media say, for the West to step up a campaign to vilify President Vladimir Putin. Faced with a wave of revulsion around the world at the assassination of leading opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, the loyal media establishment is on the counter-attack, preparing Russians for a malicious propaganda campaign by a hostile West. "And they say that's how the 'bloody regime' kills its competitors<br />
<br />
The post INSIGHT – Blood near the Kremlin: Russia’s media fight back appeared first on Firstpost.
Reported by Firstpost 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/India/754y88xr4/INSIGHT-Blood-near-the-Kremlin-Russia.htm
IndiaMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:23:59 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/India/754y88xr4/INSIGHT-Blood-near-the-Kremlin-Russia.htmLithium Kicks off 2015 Lithy AwardsLithium Now Accepting Submissions for World’s Best Customer Innovations and Transformational Results<br />
<br />
San Francisco (PRWEB UK) 2 March 2015<br />
<br />
Lithium Technologies today announced that the fifth annual Lithium Digital Customer Excellence Awards is now accepting submissions. Otherwise known as the Lithys, these awards recognise outstanding Lithium customers that are transforming their digital experience for business impact. Lithy award entries are being accepted now through April 3, 2015 and the winners will be announced at the much-anticipated LiNC ’15, taking place June 1-3 in San Francisco.<br />
<br />
“We absolutely love this time of year! The Lithys are our opportunity to honour and celebrate our customers for their remarkable work,” said Katy Keim, Chief Marketing Officer at Lithium. “We can’t wait to see this year’s entries because our customers step up their game year after year in order to achieve real, impactful results that are driving revenue and repeatable cost savings. The Lithys are about our customers’ time to shine.”<br />
<br />
This year, there are six categories that Lithium customers can submit for:· Total Community All Star: Recognises the company that has leveraged both Community and Lithium Social Web (LSW) to implement a stellar digital strategy, demonstrating a unified approach to both external social networks and their own digital properties.<br />
· Marketing Champion: Recognises the company that is using marketing strategies to activate their Community, Influencers, and Super Fans to drive real business objectives around brand awareness, loyalty and revenue.<br />
· Social ROI Titan: Recognises the company with the most impactful business metrics across Community and other social platforms.<br />
· Excellence in Customer Satisfaction: Recognises the company that has showcased a significant increase in customer engagement, loyalty and lifetime value among customers.<br />
· Support Savings MVP: Recognises the company that has best demonstrated significant cost efficiencies and support savings for their business.<br />
· Most Creative Community Promotion or Launch (video submission): Recognises the company that has rolled out unique and creative approaches to promote a Community launch or other Community milestones.<br />
· Regional Star – All submitted entries will be automatically nominated for the Regional Star award. We will have one winner for North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.<br />
<br />
Lithy winners will be selected through a combination of the popular Lithium Community peer vote and by an expert panel of judges. Please visit our Community here to submit an entry and for more information on the rules and terms.
Reported by PRWeb 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/754y88vzc/Lithium-Kicks-off-2015-Lithy-Awards.htm
Press ReleasesMon, 02 Mar 2015 18:13:24 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/754y88vzc/Lithium-Kicks-off-2015-Lithy-Awards.htmS'pore, KL to step up military tiesMarch 03, 2015 1:49 AM<br />
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SINGAPORE and Malaysia's defence ministers inked a letter of intent yesterday to step up military cooperation between the two countries.
Reported by Straits Times 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Asia-Pacific/754y88x6a/pore-KL-to-step-up-military-ties.htm
Asia-PacificMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:01:23 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Asia-Pacific/754y88x6a/pore-KL-to-step-up-military-ties.htmF-Secure Extends Privacy Protection Efforts to Step Up Fight for Digital FreedomF-Secure's Freedome Application Will Give Mac OS X Users a One-Button Tool to Protect Online Privacy
Reported by Marketwired 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/754y88wrk/Secure-Extends-Privacy-Protection-Efforts-to-Step.htm
Press ReleasesMon, 02 Mar 2015 18:42:06 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/754y88wrk/Secure-Extends-Privacy-Protection-Efforts-to-Step.htmINSIGHT - Blood near the Kremlin: Russia's media fight backMOSCOW (Reuters) - A corpse on a bloodstained bridge, with the Kremlin's red stars glowing behind: the perfect symbolic backdrop, Russian media say, for the West to step up a campaign to vilify President Vladimir Putin.
Reported by Reuters India 1 day ago.
http://www.onenewspage.com/n/World/754y88w0l/INSIGHT-Blood-near-the-Kremlin-Russia.htm
WorldMon, 02 Mar 2015 18:15:26 +0000http://www.onenewspage.com/n/World/754y88w0l/INSIGHT-Blood-near-the-Kremlin-Russia.htm